1983 Wine and Port Vintage
A short summary of the fabulous 1983 Vintage with our top recommendations 
Fonseca is one of the oldest and largest port shippers. First trading in 1815, the firm recruited Manoel Pedro Guimarãens. In 1822 he set sail for England; by travelling he could avoid persecution in Portugal as an outspoken liberal, and sell wines from London that Fonseca shipped. Manoel juggled a successful business with supporting fellow exiles of civil war. When Maria II emerged victorious, he was rewarded with the title of Knight, then Knight Commander, of the Order of Christ.
Around 1860 Manoel’s two eldest sons joined the firm, now M.P. Guimarãens & Son. Together they acquired the Fonseca trademark from the original owners’ heirs and, almost forty years later, the next generation joined: Frank (Pedro Francis Fladgate Guimarãens) came to Oporto to supervise vintage production. He remained in the position for more than 50 years, and since then the role has been passed to his great-nephew Bruce, then Bruce’s son David, Guimarãens. Fonseca is now owned by Taylor Fladgate but David, the sixth generation of Guimarãens, remains as head winemaker.
They are the only House with a perfect 100 points by critics on not one but four separate vintages in the last century, known globally for their wines’ intensity of fruit, opulence, structure and balance to last for decades. Wine experts praise the House; Robert Parker wrote: “Fonseca is one of the great port lodges, producing the most exotic and complex port… one might call it the Pomerol of Vintage Ports.” James Suckling also endorsed them, stating that Fonseca are “perhaps the most consistently great of all.”. Vintage Summary and Recommendations: 1983 Wine and Port
The 1983 vintage produced some fabulous Vintage Ports that are drinking well today and will last for decades. In Bordeaux and Italy the vintage was challenging. Top producers who selected their grapes produced some very good wines. These wines are still in their drinking window and will continue to hold. Any of these wines would make a fabulous 43 year old wine gift for an Anniversary or birthday.
Our Wine Expert currently recommends the following wines for this year:
This Year in History: The final episode of the TV series M*A*S*H, airs on CBS, to a total audience of 121.6M. Luxembourg won Eurovision with the song " Si La Vie Est Cadeau" by Corinne Hermes. Henry Cavill, Actor, was born in this year. He is best known for his role as Superman in several of the DC films.
Top Grossing Movie: Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi
Bordeaux: The 1983 vintage produced wines of mixed quality, with some excellent wines from the Margaux region. A tropical humid heat-wave in August led to over-ripening in some regions, but those Chateaux who adopted careful selection produced some outstanding wines. Those from the Margaux region were probably the greatest of the decade. St Julien and Pauillac also turned out very good wines. The irregularity means that no single characteristic defines the vintage, however the wines are now at the peak of their maturity.
Champagne: A good year, that was overshadowed by the outstanding 1982 vintage. The winter was harsh, and conditions did not improve much in spring, which was cold and damp. As a result, flowering was late, although when it did take place it did so under ideal conditions. The sunny, warm weather continued throughout much of the summer, although enough rain fell to prevent the crop from drying out. Rain, and the temperature, fell at the start of September, but conditions picked up in time for the harvest at the end of the month and beginning of October.
Italian: The 1983 wine vintage is rated as very good for the regions of Tuscany and Piedmont. The vintage produced rich, structured, full-bodied wines that are still drinking well today.
Portugal: 1983 vintage ports are now considered great classic, concentrated, rich and potent wines. It was a general declaration of vintage, with 10 major shippers declaring this year. In youth the wines were powerful yet austere, lacking the showy opulence of the 85s. However, in bottle they have developed marvellously, with the best examples being complex and harmonious. These are excellent value-for-money ports, and would make a brilliant wine gift for a birthday or anniversary.
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Fonseca Port, 1983
Vintage Port
Fonseca is one of our all-time favourites. Fonseca's 1983-vintage Port is made with a harvest that survived the first snowfall in Pinhão in 20 years and heavy rain through the spring. The result is intense aromas of dark chocolate, prune, fig and hints of rich double cream. Consider pairing its chocolate, fig, prune, raisin and walnut flavours with a cheeseboard or with festive fare over the Christmas period.
An outstanding Port rating 92/100 from an outstanding vintage. Robert Parker writes of this port... "Fonseca is one of the great port lodges, producing the most exotic and most complex port. …
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Price: £119.00
Stock: Out of Stock